Home and Consumer Horticulture, Master GardenersPlan of Work

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Daviess County CES

Title:
Home and Consumer Horticulture, Master Gardeners
MAP:
Home and Consumer Horticulture
Agents Involved:
Heisdorffer
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Master Gardener
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Urban Environments (water issues)
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests
Situation:
The horticultural industry is experiencing the popularity of gardening again. Gardening trend reports indicate that millennials are interested in growing some of their own fruits and vegetables. With the Millennials living in urban areas and the Baby Boomers downsizing, raised bed and container gardens allow them to grow fresh produce in small spaces.
Another trend is to protect pollinators. This was one of the issues identified by the County Extension Council as important and needs to be addressed in our community. When needed, understanding how to use pesticides correctly is a step in the right direction to help protect pollinators and the environment.
Long-Term Outcomes:
- Clientele will make informed decisions in the area of implementation of cultural practices and proper pesticide usage to manage food production and maintain the landscape to minimize environmental impact.
- Extension Master Gardeners continue to be a valuable resource of research based information for the community as volunteers for the Cooperative Extension Service.
- Insect pollinators will be protected and preserved in the community to ensure pollination of flowers to encourage a diversity of species in the community and to maintain fruit and vegetable production in home gardens.
- Pesticides will be used and properly and handled carefully.
Intermediate Outcomes:
- Pest management decisions will be made to protect the environment.
- Extension Master Gardeners will adopt at least 2 practices from the Master Gardener training in their own garden and landscape.
- Extension Master Gardeners will conduct a soil test and understand the results on the report.
- Participants in programs will protect pollinators in their landscape and garden.
- Individuals will grow plant species that benefit insect pollinators
Initial Outcomes:

- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to collect soil for a soil test and will gain knowledge on how to understand the results.

- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to read and comprehend directions for applying pesticides.

- Participants will recall the different parts of a pesticide label.

- Individuals will learn how to protect pollinators.

- Participants in programs will gain knowledge on how to develop a pollinator garden.

- Individuals will gain knowledge on how to manage plant pests including diseases and insects in the vegetable garden and landscape.

Evaluation:

Evaluation:

Outcome: Initial

Indicator: Individuals will learn how to aid and to protect pollinators.

Method: After the meeting survey

Timeline: February, March 2018


Evaluation:

Indicator: Initial

Outcome: Extension Master Gardener Trainees will recall the different parts of a pesticide label.

Method: Exam

Timeline: December 2017


Evaluation:

Indicator: Intermediate

Outcome: Extension Master Gardeners will adopt at least 2 practices from the Extension Master Gardener Training in their own garden.

Method: Self reporting survey, observation

Timeline: May 2018

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Gardeners

Project or Activity: Managing Disease and Insect Pests in the Vegetable Garden and Landscape

Content or Curriculum: UK home vegetable gardening information, handling pesticides safely, reading a pesticide label, and ENTFACTS.

Inputs: Horticulture Agent

Date: August 2017 and March/April 2018


Audience: Homeowners

Project or Activity: Rain barrel workshop

Content or Curriculum: UK publication

Inputs: Specialists, Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technician

Date: July 2018


Audience:  Homeowners

Project or Activity:  Back to School for Lawn Care

Content or Curriculum:  UK publications

Inputs:  Specialists, Horticulture Agent

Date:  August 201


Audience: Gardeners and Homeowners

Project or Activity: Gardening to encourage and sustain pollinators including Gardening for Monarch Butterflies.

Content or Curriculum: Information from UK entomologists

Inputs: Horticulture Agent

Date: February/March/April 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: UK Flower Trial Demonstration Garden

Content or Curriculum: UK Information

Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Extension Master Gardeners

Date: May through September 2017


Audience: Home Gardeners

Project or Activity: Home vegetable gardening programs including growing different types of lettuce

Content or Curriculum: UK Raised Bed Gardening information and Home Vegetable Growing guide

Inputs: Agent, Extension Master Gardeners, and Horticulture Technician

Date: January - April 2018



Success Stories

New Extension Master Gardner Trainees Demonstrate Soil Testing Skills

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Master Gardener

Extension Master Gardener volunteers extend the ability of the horticulture extension agent to reach more people in the community with researched based information.  The 2017 Extension Master Gardener Class was conducted in the fall over 14 weeks and taught by the Daviess County horticulture extension agent and University of Kentucky specialists.  One of the topics taught was soil testing. Testing the soil is an important tool used to grow healthy plants. By determining the amount of p

Full Story

Extension Master Gardeners Provide Science Based Information to the Public

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Master Gardener

Extension Master Gardener volunteers provide science based education to help clientele with horticultural related questions. They play a vital role in the outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service into the community.  In addition, participants seek this opportunity to fulfill their goal of helping others in the community through sharing gardening knowledge gained through the program. A total of 66 active Extension Master Gardeners reported that they volunteered 7,181 hours toward e

Full Story
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